Then and Now: The Japanese coastal battery and USS Colorado 小川砲台
By Pierre Kosmidis The USS Colorado and the destroyer Norman Scott became preferred targets of a battery of three 6-inch guns emplaced in caves behind Tinian Town. These enemy weapons had remained silent in their well-camouflaged positions waiting for just such an opportunity as presented itself on 24 July. Only 3,200 yards off shore lay […]
Μύθοι και αλήθεια: Πόσα αεροσκάφη καταρρίφθηκαν το 1940-41
By Pierre Kosmidis Φωτογραφίες: Νίκος Χριστοφίλης ENGLISH VERSION: The truth behind the myths: How many aircraft were shot down in 1940-41 during the Italian campaign against Greece Σε κάθε πόλεμο, “το μεγαλύτερο θύμα είναι η αλήθεια”, λένε. Δεκαετίες μετά τη λήξη του Β’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, περιστατικά περιβεβλημένα με την αχλύ του μύθου αποκτούν μια διάσταση […]
Then and Now, 1943-2021: 252 squadron RAF Beaufighters attack the Italian steamer “Palermo”
By Pierre Kosmidis Research by George Karelas, used by permission Yet another forgotten story from WW2 comes to light, thanks to the efforts of acclaimed researcher George Karelas. An aerial attack on Axis shipping, days before the capitulation of Italy, on September 2nd 1943, was photographed by one of the attacking aircraft. The precise location […]
Bunker Archaeology: The German WW2 “Hohlgangsanlage” bunkers of Aegina island, Greece, by Konstantinos Kirimis
By Pierre Kosmidis Research and photos by Konstantinos Kirimis, submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission Among the various bunkers and fortifications built by the German occupation forces all over Greece during World War 2, this specific “cave-shelter” (Hohlgangsanlage, according to the German technical terminology of the time) is located in the Northern Fortress of Aegina (see Note 1, […]
Walking in the forgotten battlefield: Hill 731 through the eyes of Italian researcher Riccardo Iacobini
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos by Riccardo Iacobini, used by permission Mr. Riccardo Iacobini, 36 years old, lives in a small town near Rome, in the region of “Castelli Romani”, south of the Italian capital. Mr. Iacobini has a strong passion for history since he was a kid, especially of the recent history stretching from the First World […]
Everything You Need to Know: Interview with Jan-Peter Brüning, author of the book Luftwaffe Gravity Knife: Weapon, Tool, Tradition
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos: © Jan-Peter Brüning, published with his permission ΣΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ/IN GREEK The “gravity knife” used mainly by German paratroopers during the Second World War has gained mythological dimensions. In many countries it is known today as the “Gravity Knife” but in Germany, the country of its origin, everybody just calls them Kappmesser – […]
Bunker Archaeology: Exploring the Fleves island Naval Fortress of WW2, with Konstantinos Kirimis
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos, research and information by Konstantinos Kirimis, used by permission The vital seaways to the Port of Piraeus were protected by a network of Naval Fortresses, built in the years before WW2 by the Greek government, in the islands of the Saronic Gulf. One such naval fortress was located on the island […]
Bunker Archaeology: The WW2 178 mm coastal artillery emplacement of Fleves island, by Konstantinos Kirimis
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and information submitted by researcher and author Konstantinos Kirimis, used by permission Author and researcher Mr. Konstantinos Kirimis, from Greece, has conducted extensive and systematic investigation and on site exploration of WW2 bunkers and other fortifications. One such bunker and artillery positions complex, located at Fleves island, still survives to this day, reminding […]
Bunker Archaeology: The German WW2 fortifications of Agii Apostoli in Crete
By Pierre Kosmidis Info and photos submitted by Emmanouil Tzilivakis, used by permission Nowadays, tourists and locals alike are flooding the wonderful beaches of Agii Apostoli, located within walking distance from Chania, most of them unaware of the fact that the area was heavily fortified by the Germans during WW2. The same area was used as […]
Then and Now: Stuka attack on Greek steamer “Macedonia”, April 22, 1941
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and Research: George Karelas George Karelas, a respected researcher and deep scuba diver is credited, along with his associates, with some of the most impressive finds related to World War 2 in Greece, including aircraft wrecks, shipwrecks and even the lost panzer division, a deep sea enigma that lasted for […]